This invention relates to explosive, propellant and pyrotechnic compositions and more particularly to charcoal-free substitutes for black powder and methods of manufacture thereof.
Black powder is a low explosive composition of potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. Black powder is unpredictable in a sense that it can ignite unexpectedly and thereby cause property destruction, injuries, and death. The unpredictability of black powder originates from the variability of the charcoal constituent, which makes up 15% of the black powder composition. Charcoal is produced by carbonization of wood, a natural product that has physical and chemical properties depending on the tree species, soil composition, and environmental conditions. Due to the inherent variability of wood and fluctuations in the carbonization process, the properties of charcoal, such as its composition, ash content, pore structure, density and percent volatiles, vary from batch to batch and cause variations in the black powder performance. Certain crystalline organic compounds to replace charcoal in black powder were suggested by Wise and Sasse in U.S. Statutory Invention Registration No. H72 of Jun. 3, 1986, which is herewith incorporated by reference. The object of the instant invention is to substantially reduce variations in performance by eliminating charcoal from the black powder composition and replacing it with an effective synthetic material.